Electronic device with radio function and operating method thereof

ABSTRACT

A method and a device for selecting a radio in an electronic device with a hybrid radio function. The method includes detecting an entrance to a hybrid radio function; determining a default radio mode to be executed as a default in response to a preconfigured mode determination condition; and receiving and reproducing a radio broadcast in a radio mode corresponding to the determined default radio mode. The present disclosure can be applied to various other embodiments based on the aforementioned embodiment.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) AND CLAIM OF PRIORITY

The present application is related to and claims priority from and thebenefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) of Korean Patent No. 10-2013-0088377,filed on Jul. 26, 2013, which is hereby incorporated by reference forall purposes as if fully set forth herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to an electronic device with a radiofunction and an operating method thereof, and more particularly, to amethod and a device for automatically selecting a radio mode in anelectronic device with a radio function.

BACKGROUND

Recently, with the development of digital technologies, variouselectronic devices (e.g., a mobile communication terminal, a PersonalDigital Assistant (PDA), an electronic organizer, a smart phone, atablet Personal Computer (PC), a media player (e.g., an MP3 player), andthe like) which can perform communication and personal informationprocessing have come to market. The electronic devices have reached amobile convergence stage of encompassing an area of other terminalswithout being confined to their own traditional unique areas. Forexample, the electronic devices may be provided with various functionsincluding a call function such as a voice call and a video call, amessage transmission/reception function such as a Short Message Service(SMS), a Multimedia Message Service (MMS), and an email, a navigationfunction, a photography function, a broadcast reproduction function, amedia (a video and music) reproduction function, an internet function, amessenger function, a Social Networking Service (SNS) function, and thelike.

Furthermore, the electronic devices provide a broadcast reproductionfunction capable of receiving and reproducing various broadcasts (forexample, a Digital Multimedia Broadcast (DMB) (e.g., a satellitebroadcast, a terrestrial broadcast, and the like), an analog radiobroadcast, a digital radio broadcast).

In particular, the electronic devices recently provide a hybrid radiofunction. The hybrid radio function represents a technology using bothan analog radio and a digital radio. When executing the hybrid radiofunction, the electronic devices can perform an operation of receivingan analog radio broadcast in an analog mode (analog radio domain) and anoperation of receiving a digital radio broadcast in a digital mode(digital radio domain).

In general, the electronic devices with the hybrid radio function canreceive a corresponding radio broadcast in a preconfigured specific modewhen the hybrid radio function is executed.

For example, in a case where the preconfigured specific mode is theanalog mode, when executing the hybrid radio function, the electronicdevice unconditionally executes the analog mode as a default andaccordingly, may receive and reproduce the analog radio broadcast. Thus,a user has to directly switch the mode whenever using the digital radiobroadcast in the digital mode. Similarly, in a case where thepreconfigured specific mode is the digital mode, when executing thehybrid radio function, the electronic device unconditionally executesthe digital mode as the default and accordingly, may receive andreproduce the digital radio broadcast. Thus, the user has to directlyswitch the mode whenever using the analog radio broadcast in the analogmode.

That is, the user always has to directly change the mode in order to usea radio broadcast in a mode which the user wants to use or a modesuitable for the user characteristic.

SUMMARY

To address the above-discussed deficiencies, it is a primary object toprovide a method and a device for operating a radio function in anelectronic device which can more effectively provide the radio functionin the electronic device.

In embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic device mayinclude all devices using one or more of an Application Processor (AP),a Graphic Processing unit (GPU), and a Central Processing Unit (CPU),such as all information communication devices, all multimedia devices,all wearable devices, and all application devices thereof, which supportfunctions according to the various embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

Another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a method and adevice for operating a radio function in an electronic device which canprovide, as a default, a radio broadcast of a radio mode correspondingto a user characteristic (a mode determination condition) when theelectronic device with the radio function executes a hybrid radiofunction.

Another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a method and adevice for operating a radio function in an electronic device which canadaptively select a specific radio mode which will be executed as adefault according to a user characteristic (a mode determinationcondition) when the electronic device with the radio function executes ahybrid radio function capable of using both an analog mode and a digitalmode.

Another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a method and adevice for operating a radio function in an electronic device which canimplement an optimal environment for an operation of a hybrid radiofunction in the electronic device, thereby improving user convenienceand usability of the electronic device.

In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, a method ofoperating a hybrid radio in an electronic device is provided. The methodincludes: detecting an entrance to a hybrid radio function; determininga default radio mode to be executed as a default in response to apreconfigured mode determination condition; and receiving andreproducing a radio broadcast in a radio mode corresponding to thedetermined default radio mode.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a computerreadable recording medium in which programs for executing the method ina processor are recorded is provided.

The recording medium may include a computer readable recording mediumstoring programs for performing an operation of detecting an entrance toa hybrid radio function, an operation of identifying a preconfiguredmode determination condition, an operation of determining a defaultradio mode to be executed as a default in response to the modedetermination condition, and an operation of receiving and reproducing aradio broadcast in a radio mode corresponding to the determined defaultradio mode.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, anelectronic device includes: a touch screen that receives a user inputfor an entrance of the electronic device to a hybrid radio function anddisplays a screen corresponding to a default radio mode when theelectronic device enters the hybrid radio function; and a controllerthat determines the default radio mode to be executed as a default inresponse to a preconfigured mode determination condition when theelectronic device enters the hybrid radio function and controls anoperation of the hybrid radio function in a radio mode corresponding tothe determined default radio mode.

The electronic device may further include a storage unit that stores themode determination condition configured by a user; and a broadcastreceiving module that supports the hybrid radio function. The broadcastreceiving module may include a digital broadcast receiving module thatreceives a digital radio broadcast according to a digital mode; ananalog broadcast receiving module that receives an analog radiobroadcast according to an analog mode; and a broadcast switching modulethat switches between the digital mode and the analog mode.

In the above mentioned aspects, the features and technical merits of thepresent disclosure are slightly widely summarized in order that thoseskilled in the art may understand the present disclosure through thedetailed description of the present disclosure later. The additionalfeatures and advantages of the present disclosure constituting thesubject matter of the present disclosure described in the claims as wellas these features and advantages will be understood well through thedetailed description of the present disclosure described later.

As described above, according to the electronic device with the radiofunction and the operating method thereof which are proposed in theembodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic device with thehybrid radio function capable of receiving and reproducing both theanalog radio broadcast and the digital radio broadcast can moreintuitively and effectively provide the hybrid radio function. Anoptimal mode of the radio broadcast, which will be received from thebroadcast server and will be reproduced when the hybrid radioapplication is executed, is automatically selected based on the usercharacteristic (the mode determination condition) so that the radiobroadcast of the corresponding mode can be received and reproduced.

When a hybrid radio application is executed by a user, a default modecan be automatically selected from two modes (an analog mode and adigital mode) by a most realistic and efficient method from a point ofview of the user. Accordingly, when using the hybrid radio function, theuser may allow a radio broadcast (an analog radio broadcast or a digitalradio broadcast) of the mode corresponding to the user characteristic (amode determination condition) to be executed as a default, therebyenhancing usability of the hybrid radio function.

Thus, according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, an optimalenvironment can be implemented for operating the hybrid radio functionin the electronic device, thereby improving user convenience, andusability, convenience, accessibility, and competitiveness of theelectronic device. The present disclosure may be implemented by alltypes of user devices such as a mobile communication terminal, a smartphone, a tablet PC, a PDA, a wearable device, and the like, and variousdevices capable of supporting the hybrid radio function according to thevarious embodiments of the present disclosure.

Before undertaking the DETAILED DESCRIPTION below, it may beadvantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases usedthroughout this patent document: the terms “include” and “comprise,” aswell as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation; the term“or,” is inclusive, meaning and/or; the phrases “associated with” and“associated therewith,” as well as derivatives thereof, may mean toinclude, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be containedwithin, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with,cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to orwith, have, have a property of, or the like; and the term “controller”means any device, system or part thereof that controls at least oneoperation, such a device may be implemented in hardware, firmware orsoftware, or some combination of at least two of the same. It should benoted that the functionality associated with any particular controllermay be centralized or distributed, whether locally or remotely.Definitions for certain words and phrases are provided throughout thispatent document, those of ordinary skill in the art should understandthat in many, if not most instances, such definitions apply to prior, aswell as future uses of such defined words and phrases.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure and itsadvantages, reference is now made to the following description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like referencenumerals represent like parts:

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates configurations of a system according toan embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating configurations ofan electronic device according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate an example of an operation in which a hybridradio function is operated in an electronic device according to anembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a hybrid radiofunction of an electronic device according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of operations ofdetermining a radio mode and performing processing depending on apresence or absence of earphones in an electronic device according to anembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating operations of operating a hybridradio function depending on a presence or absence of earphones in anelectronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 8 to 14 illustrate examples of an operation of operating a hybridradio function according to a presence or absence of earphones in anelectronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating an example of operations ofdetermining a radio mode and performing processing depending on apresence or absence of an additional charge in an electronic deviceaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating an example of operations ofdetermining a radio mode and performing processing depending on a changein an amount of used data in an electronic device according to anembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating an example of operations ofdetermining a radio mode and performing processing depending on a modeusage pattern in an electronic device according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 18 illustrates an example of operations of determining a radio modeand performing processing depending on a user's selection in anelectronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;and

FIG. 19 illustrates an example of operations of determining a radio modeand performing processing depending on a user's configuration in anelectronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 through 19, discussed below, and the various embodiments used todescribe the principles of the present disclosure in this patentdocument are by way of illustration only and should not be construed inany way to limit the scope of the disclosure. Those skilled in the artwill understand that the principles of the present disclosure may beimplemented in any suitably arranged system or device. Hereinafter,various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described indetail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be notedthat the same elements will be designated by the same reference numeralsalthough they are shown in different drawings. Further, detaileddescriptions related to well-known functions or configurations capableof making subject matters of the present disclosure unnecessarilyobscure will be omitted. Hereinafter, it should be noted that only thedescriptions will be provided that may help understanding the operationsprovided in association with the various embodiments of the presentdisclosure, and other descriptions will be omitted to avoid making thesubject matter of the present disclosure rather unclear.

The proposed present disclosure relates to a method and a device forselecting a radio in an electronic device with a hybrid radio function.In the embodiments of the present disclosure, a hybrid radio may be usedas a term representing technologies of using both an analog radio and adigital radio. When executing the hybrid radio function, the electronicdevice with the hybrid radio function may perform an operation ofreceiving an analog radio broadcast in an analog mode (analog radiodomain) and an operation of receiving a digital radio broadcast in adigital mode (digital radio domain).

In the embodiments of the present disclosure, when the hybrid radiofunction is executed in the electronic device, the most suitable radiomode among the analog mode and the digital mode may be automaticallyselected as a default mode depending on a user characteristic (e.g., amode determination condition). In the embodiments of the presentdisclosure, the default mode for operating the hybrid radio modefunction is automatically selected in view of the user characteristic,and the radio broadcast is provided in the selected mode, therebyincreasing usability and accessibility of a user for the hybrid radiofunction.

Hereinafter, configurations of an electronic device according to anembodiment of the present disclosure and an operating method thereofwill be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Theconfigurations of the electronic device according to the embodiment ofthe present disclosure and the operating method thereof are notrestricted by or limited to contents which will be described below andtherefore, it should be noted that they may be applied to variousembodiments based on the embodiments which will be described below.

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates configurations of a system according toan embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 1, the system according to the embodiment of thepresent disclosure may include an electronic device 100 and a broadcastserver 200.

In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the broadcast server 200may simultaneously transmit an analog radio broadcast and a digitalradio broadcast. The broadcast server 200 may transfer the analog radiobroadcast to the electronic device 100 through an analog broadcastnetwork 10 and the digital radio broadcast to the electronic device 100through a digital broadcast network 20.

In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device 100may support the hybrid radio function, and may receive and reproduceboth the analog radio and the digital radio. The electronic device 100may include a digital broadcast receiving module and an analog broadcastreceiving module to support the hybrid radio function. The electronicdevice 100 may receive the digital radio broadcast, which is transferredfrom the broadcast server 200 through the digital broadcast network 20,using the digital broadcast receiving module, and may receive the analogradio broadcast, which is transferred from the broadcast server 200through the analog broadcast network 10, using the analog broadcastreceiving module.

Furthermore, when operating the hybrid radio function, the electronicdevice 100 may determine a specific mode to execute as a default modedepending on a user characteristic (a mode determination condition),among the analog mode for the analog radio broadcast and the digitalmode for the digital radio broadcast. In addition, the electronic device100 may operate to receive the corresponding radio broadcast through thedigital broadcast receiving module or the analog broadcast receivingmodule depending on the mode determined as the default mode and toreproduce the corresponding radio broadcast.

Moreover, while receiving and reproducing the radio broadcast by theanalog or digital mode, the electronic device 100 may change thecurrently running mode to another mode in response to a change in theuser characteristic (the mode determination condition) or a user'srequest, and may then receive and reproduce the corresponding radiobroadcast. That is, the electronic device 100 may adaptively performreception switching between the analog radio broadcast and the digitalradio broadcast in response to a request for the reception switchingbetween the analog radio broadcast and the digital radio broadcast.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating configurations ofan electronic device 100 according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

Referring to FIG. 2, the electronic device 100 of the present disclosuremay include a wireless communication unit 110, a user input unit 120, atouch screen 130, an audio processor 140, a storage unit 150, aninterface unit 160, a controller 170, and a power supply unit 180. Inthe embodiment of the present disclosure, not all elements illustratedin FIG. 2 are indispensable and thus, the electronic device 100 may beimplemented with more or fewer elements than illustrated in FIG. 2. Forexample, when the electronic device 100 according to the embodiment ofthe present disclosure supports a photography function, the electronicdevice 100 may further include a camera module. Furthermore, theelectronic device 100 according to the embodiment of the presentdisclosure may further include an antenna which can receive an analog ordigital broadcast. Moreover, when the electronic device 100 according tothe embodiment of the present disclosure does not support a mobilecommunication service function, some modules (e.g., a mobilecommunication module 111 of the wireless communication unit 110) may beomitted.

The wireless communication unit 110 may include one or more modulesenabling wireless communication between the electronic device 100 and awireless communication system or between the electronic device 100 andanother electronic device. For example, the wireless communication unit110 may include a mobile communication module 111, a wireless Local AreaNetwork (LAN) module 113, a short range communication module 115, aposition calculating module 117, and a broadcast receiving module 119.

The mobile communication module 111 may transmit/receive a wirelesssignal to/from at least one of a base station, an external mobilestation, and various servers (e.g., an integration server, a providerserver, a content server, an internet server, a cloud server, and thelike) on a mobile communication network. The wireless signal may includea voice call signal, a video call signal, or various types of dataaccording to text/multimedia message transmission/reception.

The wireless LAN module 113 represents a module for establishingwireless internet access and a wireless LAN link with another electronicdevice, and may be embedded in or may be external to the electronicdevice 100. WLAN (Wi-Fi), Wireless broadband (Wibro), WorldInteroperability for Microwave Access (Wimax), High Speed DownlinkPacket Access (HSDPA), or the like may be used as a wireless internettechnology. The wireless LAN module 113 may transmit or receive variousdata (e.g., an image, a video, music, broadcast recording data, and thelike) according to a user's selection to/from another electronic devicewhen the wireless LAN link is established with the another electronicdevice. The wireless LAN module 113 may always be maintained in aturned-on status or may be turned on according to a user's configurationor input.

The short range communication module 115 represents a module for shortrange communication. Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), RadioFrequency Identification (RFID), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), UltraWideband (UWB), ZigBee, Near Field Communication (NFC), or the like maybe used as a short range communication technology. Furthermore, theshort range communication module 115 may transmit or receive data (e.g.,an image, a video, music, broadcast recording data, and the like)according to a user's selection to/from another electronic device whenshort range communication is established with the another electronicdevice. The short range communication module 115 may always bemaintained in a turned-on status or may be turned on according to auser's configuration or input.

The position calculating module 117 is a module for obtaining a positionof the electronic device 100, and may include a Global Position System(GPS) module as a representative example. The position calculatingmodule 117 may calculate three dimensional information on a currentposition according to a latitude, a longitude, and an altitude, bycalculating information on a distance away from three or more basestations and accurate time information, and then applying trigonometryto the calculated information. Furthermore, the position calculatingmodule 117 may calculate position information by continuously receivingposition information of the electronic device 100 from three or moresatellites in real time. The position information of the electronicdevice 100 may be obtained by various methods.

The broadcast receiving module 119 may receive a broadcast signal (e.g.,a TV broadcast signal, a radio broadcast signal, a data broadcastsignal, and the like) and/or broadcast related information (e.g.,information associated with a broadcast channel, a broadcast program, ora broadcast service provider) from an external broadcast server througha broadcast channel (e.g., a satellite broadcast channel, a terrestrialbroadcast channel, a radio broadcast channel, or the like).

In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the broadcast receivingmodule 119 may include a digital broadcast receiving module 121, ananalog broadcast receiving module 123, and a broadcast switching module125 for supporting a hybrid radio function. Here, according to theembodiment of the present disclosure, the digital broadcast receivingmodule 121 and the broadcast switching module 125 may be omitted in amethod of receiving a digital radio broadcast through an internetnetwork or a mobile communication network.

When the electronic device 100 operates in the digital mode whileoperating the hybrid radio function, the digital broadcast receivingmodule 121 may receive a digital broadcast signal provided through thedigital broadcast network 20 among broadcast signals (e.g., an analogradio broadcast signal and a digital radio broadcast signal) transmittedby the broadcast server 200.

When the electronic device 100 operates in the analog mode whileoperating the hybrid radio function, the analog broadcast receivingmodule 123 may receive an analog broadcast signal provided through theanalog broadcast network 10 among broadcast signals (e.g., an analogradio broadcast signal and a digital radio broadcast signal) transmittedby the broadcast server 200.

The broadcast switching module 125 may switch and configure a signalpath for reception of the digital broadcast and the analog broadcastunder the control of the controller 170. In the embodiment of thepresent disclosure, the broadcast switching module 125 may configure asignal path together with the digital broadcast receiving module 121 forreception of the digital radio broadcast under the control of thecontroller 170 when the electronic device 100 operates in the digitalmode. Furthermore, the broadcast switching module 125 may configure asignal path together with the analog broadcast receiving module 123 forreception of the analog radio broadcast under the control of thecontroller 170 when the electronic device 100 operates in the analogmode. Moreover, the broadcast switching module 125 may switch andconfigure a signal path for reception switching between the analog radiobroadcast signal and the digital radio broadcast signal in response to amode switching request under the control of the controller 170 while theelectronic device 100 is operating in the analog or digital mode.

The user input unit 120 may generate input data for controlling anoperation of the electronic device 100 in response to a user input. Theuser input unit 120 may include a keypad, a dome switch, a touch pad(resistive type/capacitive type), a jog wheel, a jog switch, a sensor(e.g., a voice sensor, a proximity sensor, an illumination sensor, anacceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, a grip sensor, a pressure sensor,and the like), and the like. Furthermore, the user input unit 120 may beimplemented in a button form on an outside of the electronic device 100,and some buttons may also be implemented on a touch panel. The userinput unit 120 may receive a user input for executing the hybrid radiofunction, and may generate an input signal according to the receiveduser input. Furthermore, while the hybrid radio function is beingoperated, the user input unit 120 may receive a user input for receptionswitching between the analog radio broadcast and the digital radiobroadcast, namely, switching between the operation in the analog modeand the operation in the digital mode, and may generate an input signalaccording to the received user input.

The touch screen 130 is an input/output means for simultaneouslyperforming an input function and a display function, and may include adisplay unit 131 and a touch detecting unit 133. The touch screen 130may display, through the display unit 131, various screens (e.g., astandby screen, a messenger and a screen operated thereby, a screen foran outgoing call, a game screen, a gallery screen, a broadcastreproduction screen, a radio broadcast reproduction screen and the like)according to operations of the electronic device 100.

When a user input (e.g., a touch, a tap, a drag, a flick, a sweep, ahovering event, or the like) is detected by the touch detecting unit 133while a specific screen is being displayed through the display unit 131,the touch screen 130 may transfer an input signal according to the userinput to the controller 170. Then, the controller 170 may distinguishthe user input and may control performance of a motion according to theuser input. According to an embodiment, the touch screen 130 may receivea user input for channel switching, mode switching, or reproductionrelated function control (e.g., playback, pause, and stop) whiledisplaying a reproduction screen according to the operation of thehybrid radio function, and may display a screen responding to the userinput through the display unit 131 under the control of the controller170.

The display unit 131 may display (output) information processed by theelectronic device 100. For example, when the electronic device 100 is ina call mode, the display unit 131 may display a call related UserInterface (UI) or Graphical User Interface (GUI). Furthermore, when theuser device is in a video call mode or photography mode, the displayunit 131 may display a photographed and/or received image, a UI, or aGUI. Furthermore, the display unit 131 may display a configuration menuscreen for operating the hybrid radio function and an analog radioreproduction screen or digital radio reproduction screen correspondingto the operation of the hybrid radio function with the configured UI orGUI. Moreover, the display unit 131 may support a display in a landscapeor portrait mode depending on an orientation of the electronic device100 (or a direction in which the electronic device is placed) and adisplay switching depending on a change between the landscape andportrait modes.

The display unit 131 may include at least one of a Liquid CrystalDisplay (LCD), a Thin Film Transistor-LCD (TFT-LCD), a Light EmittingDiode (LED), an Organic LED (OLED), an Active Matrix OLED (AMOLED), aflexible display, a bended display, and a 3D display. Some of thedisplays may be implemented as a transparent display configured with atransparent or photo-transparent type such that the outside can beviewed there through.

The touch detecting unit 133 may be positioned on the display unit 131,and may detect a user's touch event (e.g., a tap, a drag, a sweep, aflick, a drag and drop, drawing, a single-touch, a multi-touch, agesture (e.g., writing), or the like) on a surface of the touch screen130 or a user's hovering event occurring in a space over the touchscreen 130. When detecting the user's touch event or hovering eventthrough the touch screen 130, the touch detecting unit 133 may detectcoordinates where the touch event or hovering event is generated, andmay transfer the detected coordinates to the controller 170. That is,the touch detecting unit 133 may detect the touch event or hoveringevent generated by the user and may generate a signal according to thedetected touch event or hovering event to transmit the generated signalto the controller 170. The controller 170 may perform a functioncorresponding to an area where the touch event or hovering event isgenerated, by the signal transferred from the touch detecting unit 133.

The touch detecting unit 133 may receive a user input for execution ofthe hybrid radio function (application) (e.g., a selection of an icon ona menu screen for execution of the hybrid radio function), and maygenerate an input signal according to the received user input. The touchdetecting unit 133 may receive a user input for configuring a usercharacteristic (a mode determination condition) on a configuration menuscreen for operating the hybrid radio function, and may generate aninput signal according to the received user input. Furthermore, thetouch detecting unit 133 may receive a user input (e.g., channelswitching and mode switching) and generate an input signal according tothe received user input while an analog radio reproduction screen or adigital radio reproduction screen according to an operation of thehybrid radio function is displayed.

The touch detecting unit 133 may be configured to convert a change in apressure applied to a specific portion of the display unit 131 or achange in an electrostatic capacity generated at a specific portion ofthe display unit 131 into an electric input signal. The touch detectingunit 133 may be configured to detect a touch pressure according to anapplied touch method as well as a touched position and a touched area.When there is a touch input for the touch detection unit 133, a signal(signals) corresponding to the touch input may be transferred to a touchcontroller (not illustrated). The touch controller (not illustrated) mayprocess the signal (signals), and then may transmit corresponding datato the controller 170. Hereby, the controller 170 may identify whicharea of the touch screen 130 is touched.

The audio processor 140 may transmit, to a speaker (SPK) 141, an audiosignal input from the controller 170, and may perform a function oftransferring an audio signal such as a voice input from a microphone(MIC) 143 to the controller 170. The audio processor 140 may convertvoice/sound data into an audible sound to output the audible soundthrough the speaker 141 under the control of the controller 170, and mayconvert an audio signal such as a voice received from the microphone 143into a digital signal to transfer the digital signal to the controller170.

The speaker 141 may output audio data received from the wirelesscommunication unit 110 or stored in the storage unit 150, in a broadcastreproduction mode, a radio broadcast reproduction mode, a messengermode, a call mode, a message mode, a voice (video) recording mode, avoice recognition mode, and a media content (a music file and a videofile) reproduction mode. The speaker 141 may also output sound signalsrelated to functions performed by the electronic device 100 (e.g.,functions such as a hybrid radio function, a messenger function, afunction for receiving a conversation, a function for transmitting aconversation, a function for displaying a content image, a function forreceiving a call connection, a function for transmitting a callconnection, a photography function, a function of reproducing a mediacontent file, and the like).

The microphone 143 may receive an external sound signal to process theexternal sound signal into an electric voice data in a messenger mode, acall mode, a message mode, a voice (video) recording mode, a voicerecognition mode, and the like. In a case of a phone-call mode, theprocessed audio data may be converted into a format that can betransmitted to a mobile communication base station and then may beoutput through the mobile communication module 111. Various noiseremoval algorithms for removing noise generated in a process ofreceiving an external sound signal may be implemented for the microphone143.

The storage unit 150 may store programs for processing and control ofthe controller 170, and may perform a function of storing input/outputdata (e.g., broadcast data, radio broadcast data, messenger data, acontent image, contact information, a message, media content (e.g., anaudio, a video, and an image), and the like). The storage unit 150 maystore a usage frequency (e.g., a usage frequency of an application, ausage frequency of a broad channel, a usage frequency of a radio mode, ausage frequency of content, and the like), an importance value, and apriority according to operating functions of the electronic device 100.The storage unit 150 may also store various patterns of vibration dataand sound data output in response to a touch input on the touch screen130.

In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the storage unit 150 maystore various pieces of operating information configured in advance by auser for operating the hybrid radio function. In the present disclosure,the operating information may include information configured as a usercharacteristic (i.e., a condition for determining a mode) with apriority for automatically selecting a default radio mode according toexecution of the hybrid radio function. In the embodiment of the presentdisclosure, the user characteristic may represent at least one conditioncapable of determining the default mode, and a method may be configuredfor determining at least one of a presence or absence of earphones,incurring or not of an additional charge, an amount of used data, a modeusage pattern, a user's selection, and a user's configuration.

The storage unit 150 may continuously or temporarily store an OperatingSystem (OS) of the electronic device 100, programs related to input anddisplay control operations using the touch screen 130, programs relatedto control operations for operating the hybrid radio function (e.g., fordetermining the default mode), programs related to control operationsfor changing a mode during the operation of the hybrid radio function,data generated by operations of the respective programs, and the like.

The storage unit 150 may include at least one type of storage medium ofa flash memory type memory, a hard disk type memory, a micro typememory, a card type memory (for example, a Secure Digital (SD) card aneXtream Digital (XD) card, or the like), a Dynamic Random Access Memory(DRAM), a Static RAM (SRAM), a Read-Only Memory (ROM), a ProgrammableROM (PROM), an Electrically Erasable PROM (EEPROM), a Magnetic RAM(MRAM), a magnetic disk, and an optical disk. The electronic device 100may also operate in relation to a web storage performing a storagefunction of the storage unit 150 on the Internet.

The interface unit 160 may serve as a passage between the electronicdevice 100 and all external devices connected to the electronic device100. The interface unit 160 may transfer data transmitted or powersupplied from an external device to respective elements within theelectronic device 100, or may allow data within the electronic device100 to be transmitted to the external device. For example, the interfaceunit 160 may include a wired/wireless headset port, an external chargerport, a wired/wireless data port, a memory card port, a port forconnecting a device provided with an identification module, an audioinput/output port, a video input/output port, an earphone port, and thelike.

The controller 170 may control an overall operation of the user device100. For example, the controller 170 may perform a control related tovoice communication, data communication, video communication, and thelike. The controller 170 may process operations related to an operationof the hybrid radio function of the electronic device 100, and may beprovided with a data processing module (not illustrated) for processingthe operations.

When the electronic device 100 enters the hybrid radio function inresponse to a user request, the controller 170 may determine thepreconfigured mode determination condition. In the embodiment of thepresent disclosure, the mode determination condition may include atleast one of a presence or absence of earphones, incurring or not of anadditional charge, an amount of used data, a mode usage pattern, auser's selection, and a user's configuration, in which the at least onecondition is configured in advance by a user.

The controller 170 may determine the default radio mode which will beexecuted in response to the mode determination condition. In addition,the controller 170 may make a control such that the hybrid radiofunction is operated in the radio mode corresponding to the determineddefault radio mode. For example, when determining an analog mode as thedefault radio mode to be executed according to the mode determinationcondition, the controller 170 may operate to receive and reproduce ananalog radio broadcast. Furthermore, when determining a digital mode asthe default radio mode to be executed according to the modedetermination condition, the controller 170 may operate to receive andreproduce a digital radio broadcast.

Moreover, while operations are being performed in the default radio modedetermined when the electronic device 100 enters the hybrid radiofunction, the controller 170 may control radio mode switching inresponse to a status change (or an environment change), and may operateto receive and reproduce a radio broadcast corresponding to the switchedradio mode. Namely, the controller 170 may control switching of thecurrently running radio mode in response to a status change of all thedetermination conditions while the operations are being performed in thedefault radio mode. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, thestatus change may include a change in an earphone connection status, achange in an additional charge incurring status, or a status change by auser input. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a usermay connect earphones to the electronic device while listening to adigital radio broadcast in the digital mode. Then, when detecting theconnection of the earphones while the operation is being performed inthe digital mode, the controller 170 may switch the digital mode to theanalog mode based on the preconfigured mode determination condition. Inaddition, the controller 170 may discontinue receiving the digital radiobroadcast in response to the mode switching, and may operate to receiveand reproduce the analog radio broadcast.

Such a detailed control operation of the controller 170 will bedescribed in an example of an operation of the electronic device 100 anda control method thereof with reference to drawings as will beillustrated below.

The controller 170 according to the embodiment of the present disclosuremay control various operations related to a general function of theelectronic device 100 in addition to the aforementioned functions. Forexample, when a specific application is executed, the controller 170 maycontrol an operation and displaying of a screen for the specificapplication. Furthermore, the controller 170 may receive input signalscorresponding to various user inputs supported by a touch-based inputinterface (e.g., the touch screen 130), and may control an operation offunctions according to the received input signals. Moreover, thecontroller 170 may also control data transmission/reception based onwired communication or wireless communication.

The power supply unit 180 may receive external power and internal power,and may supply power used for operation of the elements of theelectronic device 100 under the control of the controller 170.

The aforementioned electronic device 100 according to the variousembodiments of the present disclosure may include all devices using anApplication Processor (AP), a Graphic Processing unit (GPU), and aCentral Processing Unit (CPU), such as all information communicationdevices, all multimedia devices, and all application devices thereof,which support the functions of the present disclosure. For example, theelectronic device 100 may include devices such as a tablet PC, a smartphone, a wearable device (e.g., including all types of IT (or smart)devices worn by a user, such as wearable phone, a wearable watch, awearable computer, a wearable camera, wearable shoes, a wearablependant, a wearable ring, a wearable bracelet, wearable glasses(goggles), and the like), a Portable Multimedia Player (PMP), a mediaplayer (e.g. an MP3 player), a portable game terminal, a PersonalDigital Assistant (PDA), and the like as well as mobile communicationterminals operating based on communication protocols corresponding tovarious communication systems. In addition, function control methodsaccording to the various embodiments of the present disclosure may alsobe employed for various display devices such as a laptop computer (e.g.,a notebook computer), a digital television, a Digital Signage (DS), aLarge Format Display (LFD) and the like.

The various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented ina recording medium, which can be read through a computer or a similardevice, by using software, hardware, or a combination thereof. Accordingto the hardware implementation, the embodiments of the presentdisclosure may be implemented using at least one of Application SpecificIntegrated Circuits (ASICs), Digital Signal Processors (DSPs), DigitalSignal Processing Devices (DSPDs), Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs),Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), processors, controllers,micro-controllers, micro-processors, and electrical units for performingother functions.

The recording medium may include a computer readable recording mediumstoring programs for performing the operation of detecting an entranceto the hybrid radio function, the operation of identifying thepreconfigured mode determination condition, the operation of determiningthe default radio mode to be executed as a default in response to themode determination condition, and the operation of receiving andreproducing the radio broadcast in the radio mode corresponding to thedetermined default radio mode.

In some cases, the embodiments described in the present specificationmay be implemented by the controller 170 in itself. Furthermore,according to the software implementation, the embodiments such asprocedures and functions described in the present specification may alsobe implemented as separate software modules. The software modules mayperform one or more functions and operations described in the presentspecification.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate an example of an operation in which a hybridradio function is operated in the electronic device 100 according to theembodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the controller 170 may execute a hybridradio application (function) in response to a user request as inoperations <301> and <401>. For example, a user may select an icon forexecuting the hybrid radio application on a standby screen or menuscreen of the electronic device 100, and the controller 170 may executethe hybrid radio application in response to the selection of the icon.

The controller 170 may determine a default radio mode according to aradio mode determination condition as in operations <303>, <403>, <405>,and <407> in response to a user request for executing the hybrid radioapplication. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, as disclosedin operation <405>, the default radio mode may be determined tocorrespond to at least one of a presence or absence of earphones,incurring or not of an additional charge, an amount of used data, a modeusage pattern, a user's selection, a user's configuration, and acombination of at least two of the various aforementioned conditions.The operation of determining the default radio mode and the conditionsfor the determination of the radio mode will be described in an exampleof operations of the electronic device 100 and a control method thereofwith reference to the drawings which will be described below.

When a user determines the default radio mode as in operation <407> withreference to one of the mode determination condition (i.e., the usercharacteristic) exemplified in operation <405>, the controller 170 mayreceive a radio broadcast of the corresponding mode according to thedetermined radio mode and may process operations related to the receivedradio broadcast as in operations <305>, <307>, and <409>.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when an analogmode is determined as the default radio mode, the controller 170 maymake a control such that a signal path is configured toward the analogbroadcast receiving module 123 as in operation <305>. At this time, thecontroller 170 may also control the analog broadcast receiving module123 to be turned on according to an On/Off status of the analogbroadcast receiving module 123. The controller 170 may reproduce ananalog radio broadcast received through the analog broadcast receivingmodule 123, and at the same time, may display a reproduction screen ofthe analog radio broadcast.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when a digitalmode is determined as the default radio mode, the controller 170 maymake a control such that a signal path is configured toward the digitalbroadcast receiving module 121 as in operation <307>. At this time, thecontroller 170 may also control the digital broadcast receiving module121 to be turned on according to an On/Off status of the digitalbroadcast receiving module 121. The controller 170 may reproduce adigital radio broadcast received through the digital broadcast receivingmodule 121, and at the same time, may display a reproduction screen ofthe digital radio broadcast.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating a hybrid radiofunction of the electronic device 100 according to the embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 5, the controller 170 may control performance of aspecific mode corresponding to a user request (step 501). For example,the controller 170 may control a standby mode while the display unit 131of the electronic device 100 is turned off, and may control an operationmode of an application executed by a user.

When execution of a hybrid radio application is detected (step 503)while the specific mode is being performed, the controller 170 mayidentify the mode determination condition to determine a default radiomode in operating the hybrid radio (step 505).

The controller 170 may determine a particular radio mode depending onthe mode determination condition (step 507). For example, the controller170 may determine an analog mode or a digital mode in response to themode determination condition.

The controller 170 may control execution of a radio in the determinedmode (step 509). For example, when determining the analog mode as thedefault radio mode according to the mode determination condition, thecontroller 170 may operate to receive an analog radio broadcast and mayoperate to reproduce the received analog radio broadcast and display ascreen related to the analog radio broadcast. Furthermore, whendetermining the digital mode as the default radio mode according to themode determination condition, the controller 170 may operate to receivea digital radio broadcast and may operate to reproduce the receiveddigital radio broadcast and display a screen related to the digitalradio broadcast.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of operations ofdetermining a radio mode and performing processing depending on apresence or absence of earphones in the electronic device 100 accordingto the embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 6, the controller 170 may detect execution of a hybridradio application according to a user input (step 601). When theexecution of the hybrid radio application is detected, the controller170 may check a user characteristic (a mode determination condition)configured in order to determine a default radio mode, and it is assumedin FIG. 6 that a method of determining a mode according to a presence orabsence of earphones is configured.

Earphones may be connected to the electronic device 100, and in general,may also serve as an antenna for receiving a broadcast (particularly, ananalog broadcast) in the electronic device 100 supporting a digitalbroadcast or radio broadcast function. In the case where the earphonesserve as the antenna, the electronic device 100 may need to be connectedwith the earphones in order to receive the analog radio broadcast. Thedigital radio broadcast may be provided based on the Internet, and theinternet based digital radio broadcast does not need separate earphones.Accordingly, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronicdevice 100 may determine the default radio mode using characteristics ofthe respective modes according to the presence or absence of theearphones when entering the hybrid radio function. That is, according tothe embodiment of the present disclosure, when entering the hybrid radiofunction, the electronic device 100 may determine which radio mode is tobe executed as a default according to whether the earphones areconnected to the electronic device 100. Through an option configurationmenu related to an operation of the hybrid radio function, a user mayconfigure the analog mode as the default radio mode in a state in whichthe earphones are connected to the electronic device and the digitalmode as the default radio mode in a state in which the earphones are notconnected to the electronic device.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when entering thehybrid radio function, the controller 170 may determine the analog modein the case where the earphones are connected and the digital mode inthe case where the earphones are not connected. That is, in theembodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device may operateto receive the analog radio broadcast in the analog mode when theearphones are connected thereto, and may operate to receive the digitalradio broadcast in the digital mode when the earphones are not connectedthereto.

Referring back to FIG. 6, the controller 170 recognizes that thepreconfigured user characteristic corresponds to a method of determininga mode according to a presence or absence of earphones (step 603), andmay determine whether earphones are connected to the electronic device100 (step 605).

When it is determined that the earphones have been connected to theelectronic device (step 605—YES), the controller 170 may determine theanalog mode as the default radio mode (step 607), and may controloperations of receiving and reproducing the analog radio broadcastaccording to the determination (step 609). According to one embodimentof the present disclosure, the controller 170 may control the broadcastswitching module 125 such that a signal path is configured toward theanalog broadcast receiving module 123, and may operate to receive theanalog radio broadcast from the analog broadcast network 10 through theanalog broadcast receiving module 123 and to reproduce the receivedanalog radio broadcast.

The controller 170 may detect removal of the earphones while receivingand reproducing the analog radio broadcast in the analog mode (step611). When the removal of the earphones is detected, the controller 170may switch the analog mode to the digital mode (step 613), and maycontrol operations of receiving and reproducing the digital radiobroadcast (step 615). According to one embodiment of the presentdisclosure, in the case where the earphones serve as the antenna, if theearphones are removed from the electronic device 100, a receiving rateof the analog radio broadcast may be deteriorated, or the analog radiobroadcast may not be received. Accordingly, when the earphones areremoved, the electronic device according to the present disclosure mayautomatically switch to the digital mode to receive the digital radiobroadcast.

When it is determined that the earphones have not been connected to theelectronic device (step 605—NO), the controller 170 may determine thedigital mode as the default radio mode (step 617), and may controloperations of receiving and reproducing the digital radio broadcastaccording to the determination (step 619). According to one embodimentof the present disclosure, the controller 170 may control the broadcastswitching module 125 such that a signal path is configured toward thedigital broadcast receiving module 121, and may operate to receive thedigital radio broadcast from the digital broadcast network 20 throughthe digital broadcast receiving module 121 and to reproduce the receiveddigital radio broadcast.

The controller 170 may detect a connection of earphones while receivingand reproducing the digital radio broadcast in the digital mode (step621). When the connection of the earphones is detected, the controller170 may switch the digital mode to the analog mode (step 623), and maycontrol operations of receiving and reproducing the analog radiobroadcast (step 625). According to one embodiment of the presentdisclosure, in the case where the earphones serve as the antenna, if theearphones are connected to the electronic device 100, it may berecognized according to the user characteristic that a user wants toswitch to the analog radio broadcast. Accordingly, when the earphonesare connected, the electronic device according to the present disclosuremay automatically switch to the analog mode to receive the analog radiobroadcast.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating operations of operating a hybridradio function depending on a presence or absence of earphones in theelectronic device 100 according to the embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

Referring to FIG. 7, the controller 170 may identify an earphoneconnection status in response to execution of a hybrid radio application(step 701), and may determine whether the earphones have been connectedto the electronic device (step 703).

When it is determined that the earphones have been connected to theelectronic device (step 703—YES), the controller 170 may determine theanalog mode as the default radio mode as described above, and maycontrol operations of receiving and reproducing the analog radiobroadcast (step 705).

When it is determined that the earphones have not been connected to theelectronic device (step 703—NO), the controller 170 may determine thedigital mode as the default radio mode, and may check an operationmethod of a radio broadcast in the digital mode (step 707). According toone embodiment of the present disclosure, the digital radio broadcastmay be provided based on the Internet, in which case the digital radiobroadcast may be transmitted through an internet communication network(e.g., Wi-Fi). Meanwhile, the digital radio broadcast may also bereceived from the digital broadcast network 20 through an antenna.Accordingly, in a case where the earphones serve as the antenna, if thedigital radio broadcast is not provided based on the Internet, receptionand reproduction of the digital radio broadcast may not be made. Thecontroller 170 may check whether the digital radio broadcast desired tobe received in the digital mode operates based on the Internet, and maymake a control such that the digital radio broadcast operates inresponse to the Internet. For example, the controller 170 may determinewhether a channel through which the digital radio broadcast is receivedhas an internet address, and then, may identify an operation method ofthe corresponding digital radio broadcast.

When it is determined that the digital radio broadcast received in thedigital mode is based on the Internet (step 709—YES), the controller 170may control operations of receiving and reproducing the digital radiobroadcast as described above (step 711).

When it is determined that the digital radio broadcast received in thedigital mode is not based on the Internet (step 709—NO), the controller170 may control an output of a preconfigured guide (step 713), and maycontrol performance of the corresponding operation (step 715). Forexample, if earphones have not been connected to the electronic device(or have been removed from the electronic device) while the digitalradio broadcast is not based on the Internet, the controller 170 maymake a control such that the preconfigured guide (e.g., The earphonesare not connected. The earphones function as the radio aerial. Connectthe earphones.) is output. When earphones are connected to theelectronic device by a user after the guide is output, the controller170 may control operations of receiving and reproducing the analog radiobroadcast according to switching to the analog mode, terminating thehybrid radio function in response to ending of the hybrid radio functionby a user, or receiving and reproducing the internet based digital radiobroadcast according to channel switching.

FIGS. 8 to 14 illustrate examples of an operation of operating a hybridradio function according to a presence or absence of earphones in theelectronic device 100 according to the embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 8 to 14, FIG. 8 illustrates an example of an initialscreen of the electronic device 100 in a case where a user executes ahybrid radio application or in a case where a radio broadcast of anychannel is not received and reproduced while the hybrid radioapplication is executed. In FIG. 8, the screen may correspond to ascreen in a state in which a user has received and reproduced an analogradio broadcast in the analog mode and then, ends or stops only theoperations of receiving and reproducing the radio broadcast. In thestate of FIG. 8, the user may select a preconfigured function button(e.g., a power button 810, a playback button 820, or the like) forreception and reproduction of the radio broadcast.

When the radio broadcast is requested to be received and restarted inthe state of FIG. 8, the controller 170 may determine whether earphonesare connected to the electronic device 100 as described above.

In a case where the earphones are not connected to the electronic devicein the state of FIG. 8, the controller 170 may determine the analog modeas the default radio mode, and may control operations for receiving andreproducing the analog radio broadcast as illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10.For example, when the earphones are connected to the electronic device,the controller 170 may recognize that the hybrid radio function isexecuted in the analog mode, and may perform related operations forreceiving the analog radio broadcast of a channel according to a user'sselection (or a previously executed analog broadcast channel) asillustrated in FIG. 9. In addition, the controller 170 may receive andreproduce the analog radio broadcast of a channel corresponding to auser request and make a control such that a screen related to the analogradio broadcast is displayed as illustrated in FIG. 10.

Meanwhile, if the earphones are detected to be removed when the analogradio broadcast is received and reproduced while the electronic deviceis operating in the analog mode, namely, the earphones are connected tothe electronic device, the controller 170 may provide a guide 1100 fornotifying of an error as illustrated in FIG. 11. For example, when theearphones are removed while the electronic device is operating in theanalog mode according to the connection of the earphones, the controller170 may provide the preconfigured guide (e.g., Earphones removed. Radiowill be turned off.) in a popup form.

In the case where the earphones are connected to the electronic devicein the state of FIG. 8, the controller 170 may determine the digitalmode as the default radio mode, and may control operations for receivingand reproducing the digital radio broadcast. For example, when theearphones are not connected to the electronic device, the controller 170may recognize that the hybrid radio function is executed in the digitalmode, and may make a control such that the digital radio broadcast of achannel according to a user's selection (or a previously executeddigital broadcast channel) is received and reproduced and a screenrelated to the digital radio broadcast is displayed as illustrated inFIGS. 12 to 14.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller170 may determine whether the channel of the digital radio broadcastdesired to be received according to the operation in the digital modehas an internet address. When the channel of the corresponding digitalradio broadcast does not have the Internet address, the controller 170may make a control such that a preconfigured guide 1200 (e.g., Theearphones are not connected. The earphones function as the radio aerial.Connect the earphones.) is output as illustrated in FIG. 12.

Furthermore, when the channel of the corresponding radio broadcast hasthe internet address, the controller 170 may provide a guide 1300,notifying that an additional charge may be incurred according to the useof the mobile communication network, in a popup form as illustrated inFIG. 13. Such an operation as illustrated in FIG. 3 may be providedaccording to a user's selection when the electronic device 100 receivesand reproduces the digital radio broadcast through the mobilecommunication network without accessing the internet network such asWi-Fi. Accordingly, the operation illustrated in FIG. 13 may be omittedwhen the electronic device 100 is connected to the internet network, oraccording to the user's selection (e.g., a selection of option “Do notshow again”). In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 14, the controller 170may receive and reproduce the digital radio broadcast of a channelcorresponding to a user request, and may make a control such that ascreen related to the digital radio broadcast is displayed.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating an example of operations ofdetermining a radio mode and performing processing depending on apresence or absence of an additional charge in the electronic device 100according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 15, the controller 170 may detect execution of ahybrid radio application according to a user input (step 1501). Whendetecting the execution of the hybrid radio application, the controller170 may check a user characteristic (a mode determination condition)configured in order to determine a default radio mode, and it is assumedin FIG. 15 that a method of determining a mode according to a presenceor absence of an additional charge is configured.

The electronic device 100 may determine a mode that does not incur anadditional charge (e.g., the analog mode) as the default radio mode whenentering the hybrid radio function. Furthermore, the electronic device100 may determine the default radio mode according to an environment inwhich the additional charge is not incurred (e.g., a state of beingconnected to the Internet network such as Wi-Fi). That is, according tothe embodiment of the present disclosure, when entering the hybrid radiofunction, the electronic device 100 may determine which radio mode is tobe executed as a default according to whether the additional charge isincurred or not. A user may configure the mode which does not incur theadditional charge as the default radio mode through an optionconfiguration menu related to an operation of the hybrid radio function.According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the analog radiobroadcast may be provided free of charge, and the digital radiobroadcast may incur the additional charge when being received through amobile communication network.

The user may configure the mode which does not incur the additionalcharge as the default radio mode, and the electronic device 100 maydetermine the analog mode which does not incur the additional charge asthe default radio mode according to the aforementioned configurationwhen the hybrid radio function is executed or may determine the digitalmode as the default radio mode according to a status in which theelectronic device 100 is connected to the Internet network such asWi-Fi.

Referring back to FIG. 15, the controller 170 recognizes that thepreconfigured user characteristic corresponds to a method of determininga mode according to a presence or absence of an additional charge (step1503), and may determine a Wi-Fi connection status of the electronicdevice 100 (step 1505).

When it is determined that Wi-Fi has been connected to the electronicdevice (step 1505—YES), the controller 170 may determine the digitalmode as the default radio mode (step 1507), and may control operationsof receiving and reproducing the digital radio broadcast according tothe determination of the digital mode (step 1509).

When it is determined that Wi-Fi has not been connected to theelectronic device (step 1505—NO), the controller 170 may determine theanalog mode which does not incur an additional charge as the defaultradio mode (step 1513), and may control operations of receiving andreproducing the analog radio broadcast according to the determination ofthe analog mode.

Meanwhile, the controller 170 may make a control such that correspondingoperations are performed to correspond to a status change (or anenvironment change) during the reception and reproduction of the analogradio broadcast in the analog mode or the analog radio broadcast in thedigital mode (step 1511).

For example, when Wi-Fi is connected to the electronic device during theoperations in the analog mode, the controller 170 may switch from theanalog mode to the digital mode, and may control operations of receivingand reproducing the digital radio broadcast. On the other hand, whenWi-Fi is connected to the electronic device during the operations in thedigital mode, the controller 170 may switch from the digital mode to theanalog mode, and may control operations of receiving and reproducing theanalog radio broadcast.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating an example of operations ofdetermining a radio mode and performing processing depending on a changein amount of used data in the electronic device 100 according to theembodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 16, the controller 170 may detect execution of ahybrid radio application according to a user input (step 1601). Whendetecting the execution of the hybrid radio application, the controller170 may check a user characteristic (a mode determination condition)configured in order to determine a default radio mode, and it is assumedin FIG. 16 that a method of determining a mode according to a change inamount of used data is configured.

When entering the hybrid radio function, the electronic device 100 mayprofile an amount of used data for a predetermined period of time todetermine the default radio mode based on a data usage pattern of auser. For example, the electronic device 100 may check a change inamount of data used by the user for the predetermined period of time. Inaddition, in a case where the amount of used data is on a downwardtrend, the electronic device 100 may determine that the analog mode ismore likely to be preferred to execute the analog mode as the defaultradio mode. On the other hand, in a case where the amount of used datais on an upward trend, the electronic device 100 may determine that thedigital mode is more likely to be preferred to execute the digital modeas the default radio mode.

Referring back to FIG. 16, the controller 170 may recognize that thepreconfigured user characteristic corresponds to a method of determininga mode according to the change in an amount of used data (step 1603),check the change in the amount of used data for a predetermined periodof time (step 1605), and determine whether the amount of used data is ona downward or upward trend (step 1607).

When it is determined that the amount of used data has been decreasedfor the predetermined period of time (step 1607—YES), the controller 170may determine the analog mode as the default radio mode (step 1609), andmay control operations of receiving and reproducing the analog radiobroadcast according to the determination of the analog mode (step 1611).

When it is determined that the amount of used data has been increasedfor the predetermined period of time (step 1607—NO), the controller 170may determine the digital mode as the default radio mode (step 1613),and may control operations of receiving and reproducing the digitalradio broadcast according to the determination of the digital mode (step1615).

FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating an example of operations fordetermining a radio mode and performing processing depending on a modeusage pattern in the electronic device 100 according to the embodimentof the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 17, the controller 170 may detect execution of ahybrid radio application according to a user input (step 1707). Whendetecting the execution of the hybrid radio application, the controller170 may check a user characteristic (a mode determination condition)configured in order to determine a default radio mode, and it is assumedin FIG. 17 that a method of determining a mode according to a mode usagepattern is configured.

When entering the hybrid radio function, the electronic device 100 maydetermine a preferred radio mode, used by a user while the hybrid radiofunctions is executed for a predetermined period of time, as the defaultradio mode. Namely, the electronic device 100 may analyze the pattern inwhich the user has used radio modes for the predetermined period oftime, and may determine the radio mode preferred by the user for thehybrid radio function as the default radio mode.

For example, the analog radio broadcast of the analog mode may becompletely free of charge, and thus, a user sensitive to an additionalcharge is more likely to use the analog mode. Furthermore, the digitalradio broadcast of the digital mode may have a better sound quality andmay also be provided with various pieces of additional content ascompared with the analog radio broadcast. Thus, a user not sensitive tothe additional charge is more likely to use the digital mode. Theelectronic device 100 may accordingly predict the preferred radio modeof the user, which will be executed as a default, by analyzing the modeusage pattern of the user for the predetermined period of time.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronicdevice 100 may check using rates of the respective radio modes for thelast week with respect to a current time. When the analog mode ispreferred to the digital mode, the electronic device 100 may recognizethat the user is sensitive to the additional charge according to theused data. Accordingly, the electronic device 100 may determine that theanalog mode is more likely to be used, and then, may execute the analogmode as the default radio mode. On the other hand, when the digital modeis preferred to the analog mode, the electronic device 100 may recognizethat the user is not sensitive to the additional charge according to theused data. Accordingly, the electronic device 100 may determine that thedigital mode is more likely to be used, and then, may execute thedigital mode as the default radio mode.

Referring back to FIG. 17, the controller 170 may recognize that thepreconfigured user characteristic corresponds to a method of determininga mode according to the mode usage pattern (step 1703), analyze the modeusage pattern for a predetermined period of time (step 1705), anddetermine whether the preferred radio mode, which the user hasfrequently used for the predetermined period of time, is the analog modeor the digital mode (step 1707). Namely, the controller 170 maydetermine the default radio mode by analyzing which of the analog anddigital modes has been preferred.

When it is determined that the preferred radio mode used for thepredetermined period of time is the analog mode (step 1707—YES), thecontroller 170 may determine the analog mode as the default radio mode(step 1709), and may control operations of receiving and reproducing theanalog radio broadcast according to the determination of the analog mode(step 1711).

When it is determined that the preferred radio mode used for thepredetermined period of time is the digital mode (step 1707—NO), thecontroller 170 may determine the digital mode as the default radio mode(step 1713), and may control operations of receiving and reproducing thedigital radio broadcast according to the determination of the digitalmode (step 1715).

FIG. 18 illustrates an example of operations of determining a radio modeand performing processing depending on a user's selection in theelectronic device 100 according to the embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

Referring to FIG. 18, when detecting execution of a hybrid radioapplication according to a user input, the controller 170 may check auser characteristic (a mode determination condition) configured in orderto determine a default radio mode, and it is assumed in FIG. 18 that amethod of determining a mode according to a user's selection isconfigured.

As illustrated in FIG. 18, when entering the hybrid radio function, theelectronic device 100 may display a mode selection menu 1800 forselecting the default radio mode to the user. Namely, when executing thehybrid radio function, the electronic device 100 may invest the userwith a right of selection for the radio mode through the mode selectionmenu 1800, and the user may select the radio mode (e.g., the analog modeor the digital mode) which the user desires to execute as a defaultthrough the mode selection menu 1800. Then, the electronic device 100may determine the selected radio mode as the default radio mode inresponse to the user's selection, and may control operations ofreceiving and reproducing the radio broadcast corresponding to thedetermined radio mode.

FIG. 19 illustrates describing an example of operations of determining aradio mode and performing processing depending on a user's configurationin the electronic device 100 according to the embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

Referring to FIG. 19, when detecting execution of a hybrid radioapplication according to a user input, the controller 170 may check auser characteristic (a mode determination condition) configured in orderto determine a default radio mode, and it is assumed in FIG. 19 that amethod of determining a mode according to a user's configuration isconfigured.

As illustrated in FIG. 19, when entering the hybrid radio function, theelectronic device 100 may provide, to a user, a configuration menuthrough which the user may configure various pieces of informationrelated to the operation of the hybrid radio function (particularly, mayconfigure the default radio mode). Namely, when executing the hybridradio function, the electronic device 100 may display the configurationmenu through which the various pieces of information related to theoperation of the hybrid radio function can be configured, and the usermay allow the radio mode (e.g., an analog mode 1910 or a digital mode1920) which the user desires to execute as the default to be selectivelyexecuted through the configuration menu.

When executing the hybrid radio function, the electronic device 100selectively executes the analog mode 1910 and the digital mode 1920according to the radio mode configured by the user through theconfiguration menu. For example, the electronic device 100 may executethe analog mode as the default when the analog mode 1910 is configuredas the default mode through the configuration menu and the digital modeas the default when the digital mode 1920 is configured as the defaultmode through the configuration menu. Furthermore, when both the analogmode 1910 and the digital mode 1920 (i.e., the plurality of modes) areconfigured as the default mode through the configuration menu, theelectronic device 100 may perform an operation of determining any oneradio mode as the default radio mode in view of the various usercharacteristics as described above, and may control operations ofreceiving and reproducing the radio broadcast according to thedetermined default radio mode.

Meanwhile, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure,the respective modules may be configured with software, firmware,hardware, or combinations thereof. Furthermore, some or all modules maybe configured within one entity, in which case the function of thecorresponding module may be identically performed. Moreover, accordingto various embodiments of the present disclosure, respective operationsmay be executed sequentially, repeatedly, or in parallel. In addition,some operations may be omitted or may be executed while other operationsare added thereto.

The various embodiments of the present disclosure as described above maybe implemented in the form of a program instruction that can beperformed through various computers, and may be recorded in a computerreadable recording medium. The computer readable recording medium mayinclude a program command, a data file, and a data structureindependently or in combination. The program instruction recorded in therecording medium is specially designed and constructed for the presentdisclosure, but may be well known to and may be used by those skilled inthe art of computer software.

The computer readable recording media may include a magnetic media suchas a hard disc, a floppy disc, and a magnetic tape, an optical recordingmedia such as a Compact Disc Read Only Memory (CD-ROM) and a DigitalVersatile Disc (DVD), a magneto-optical media such as a floptical disk,and a hardware device, such as a Read Only Memory (ROM), a Random AccessMemory (RAM), and a flash memory, specifically configured to store andexecute program instructions. Further, the program command may include ahigh level language executed by a computer by using an interpreter aswell as a machine language code made by a compiler. The hardware devicemay be configured to operate as one or more software modules in order toperform operations of the present disclosure, and vice versa.

Meanwhile, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure shown anddescribed in this specification and the drawings correspond to specificexamples presented in order to easily explain technical contents of thepresent disclosure, and to help comprehension of the present disclosure,but are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.Therefore, it should be construed that all modifications or modifiedforms drawn by the technical idea of the present disclosure in additionto the embodiments disclosed herein are included in the scope of thepresent disclosure.

Although the present disclosure has been described with an exemplaryembodiment, various changes and modifications may be suggested to oneskilled in the art. It is intended that the present disclosure encompasssuch changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of operating a hybrid radio in anelectronic device, the method comprising: detecting an input forentering a hybrid radio function comprising an analog mode and a digitalmode; determining one of the analog mode and the digital mode to beexecuted as a default radio mode in response to a preconfigured modedetermination condition; and receiving and reproducing a radio broadcastin a radio mode corresponding to the determined mode, wherein thepreconfigured mode determination condition comprises at least one ofconnection status of earphones, an amount of used data, and a mode usagepattern, wherein the determining of the default radio mode furthercomprises: determining an analog mode as the default radio mode when theearphones are connected to the electronic device; and determining adigital mode as the default radio mode when the earphones are notconnected to the electronic device.
 2. The method of claim 1, whereindetermining the default radio mode comprises: determining the defaultradio mode according to a change in an amount of used data.
 3. Themethod of claim 2, wherein determining the default radio mode furthercomprises: identifying the change in the amount of used data for apredetermined period of time; determining an analog mode as the defaultradio mode when the amount of used data decreases; and determining adigital mode as the default radio mode when the amount of used dataincreases.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the defaultradio mode comprises: determining the default radio mode according to amode usage pattern.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining thedefault radio mode further comprises: analyzing the mode usage patternfor a predetermined period of time; determining an analog mode as thedefault radio mode when a preferred radio mode according to the modeusage pattern is the analog mode; and determining a digital mode as thedefault radio mode when the preferred radio mode according to the modeusage pattern is the digital mode.
 6. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: switching a currently running radio mode in response to astatus change of the mode determination condition during an operation inthe default radio mode.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the statuschange comprises a change in an earphone connection status, a change inan additional charge incurring status, or a status change by a userinput.
 8. An electronic device comprising: a broadcast receiving moduleconfigured to support a hybrid radio function comprising analog mode anddigital mode; a touch screen configured to receive a user input for anentrance of the electronic device to a hybrid radio function and displaya screen corresponding to a default radio mode when the electronicdevice enters the hybrid radio function; and a controller configured todetermine one of the analog mode and the digital mode to be executed asa default in response to a preconfigured mode determination conditionwhen the electronic device enters the hybrid radio function and controlan operation of the hybrid radio function in a radio mode correspondingto the determined mode, wherein the preconfigured mode determinationcondition comprises at least one of connection status of earphones, anamount of used data, and a mode usage pattern, and wherein thecontroller is configured to determine an analog mode as the defaultradio mode when the earphones are connected to the electronic device,and determine a digital mode as the default radio mode when theearphones are not connected to the electronic device.
 9. The electronicdevice of claim 8, further comprising: a storage unit configured tostore the preconfigured mode determination condition configured by auser.
 10. The electronic device of claim 8, further comprising: abroadcast receiving module configured to support the hybrid radiofunction, wherein the broadcast receiving module comprises: a digitalbroadcast receiving module configured to receive a digital radiobroadcast according to a digital mode; an analog broadcast receivingmodule configured to receive an analog radio broadcast according to ananalog mode; and a broadcast switching module configured to switchbetween the digital mode and the analog mode.
 11. The electronic deviceof claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to control switchingbetween radio modes in response to a status change of the modedetermination condition during an operation in the default radio modedetermined when the electronic device enters the hybrid radio function.12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the status changecomprises a change in an earphone connection status, a change in anadditional charge incurring status, or a status change by a user input.13. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the controller isconfigured to determine a digital mode or an analog mode as the defaultradio mode in response to the preconfigured mode determinationcondition.
 14. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium thatstores one or more programs, that when executed cause an electronicdevice to: detect an input for entering a hybrid radio functioncomprising analog mode and digital mode; determine one of the analogmode and the digital mode to be executed as a default in response to apreconfigured mode determination condition, and receive and reproduce aradio broadcast in a radio mode corresponding to the determined mode,wherein the preconfigured mode determination condition comprises atleast one of connection status of earphones, an amount of used data, anda mode usage pattern, wherein the determining of the default radio modefurther comprises: determining an analog mode as the default radio modewhen the earphones are connected to the electronic device; anddetermining a digital mode as the default radio mode when the earphonesare not connected to the electronic device.